


Guardian - Angel

by Elyssian



Series: [K]ollection [4]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Canon-AU, Happy birthday suho!, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-21
Updated: 2016-06-06
Packaged: 2018-06-09 19:41:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6920413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elyssian/pseuds/Elyssian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Suho makes a wish and he ends up in a coma.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A question

You must remember that being devout does not make you superstitious and that Kim Junmyeon was really only at that place, at that particular time, because of coincidence. (Or, a certain angel punted her lunch at the strings of fate so she could meet her idol.) Junmyeon did not, at first, entertain the thought he was perhaps not having a lucid moment and that the girl had really descended from the sky.

“Oh, wow, you're even more amazing up close.” Sowon began, staring slack-jawed at him.

Junmyeon would have run by now because all he wanted was a quiet day without EXO and EXO was not just it's members but it's very enthusiastic fans too. But Junmyeon doesn't run because he's 100% sure he's either asleep or hallucinating.

“Oh, I'm sorry. That was awkward.” Sowon clears her throat and folds in the bulk of her massive dove wings. She pulls a clipboard from the sling bag bouncing off her white uniform and procures a pen from her hair.

“Okay, because of procedures I need you to state your name.”

Junmyeon blinks and balances his soda can carefully on the railing. It would hurt a bit if it dropped on someone, especially since this was the fifteenth floor. Junmyeon debates the cons of talking to his hallucination, but he feels strangely compelled to answer her.

“Alright. Kim Junmyeon.”

The pen glows and clicks as Sowon scribbles into the clipboard. Satisfied with whatever it was, she put it away and greeted Junmyeon again with renewed sunniness.

“Alright. Hello Mister Kim- do you mind if I call you Junmyeon? I'm a big fan. Huge fan. You're my EXO bias.”

“Go ahead,” Junmyeon says, and he can't help but smile the same smile he gives to the most endearing of fans. Sowon almost swoons and Junmyeon considers reaching out to stabilise her before she snaps back into a semi-professional mode.

“Alright, Junmyeon then. I'm your assigned guardian angel- it's such an honour by the way- and in light of your pure heart, heaven has granted me permission to grant you one wish.” Sowon smiles and extends her hand. “Sowon, at your service. Any wish you make can be achieved so long as it brings no harm or evil. Wishes involving the reversal of death and the creation of life beyond natural means is a no. True love, straight up, is also a no.”

“The rules of magic then?”

“Yup.”

Jumyeon shakes her hand and when he retracts it, he flexes his fingers experimentally. She was solid, a little warm and her hands had been soft with flesh.

“Excuse me for a second.”

Junmyeon rummages in his bag for a water bottle and pops the cap. Sowon sputters when he tips the cold contents over his face. (That might have been because he was wearing white, which did wonders when it was wet.) Junmyeon rubs his eyes for good measure before looking the angel over.

“Alright.” Junmyeon begins, his voice slipping at the edges. “There's an angel in front of me.”

Then, like an afterthought, he added, “Do you mind if I hyperventilate here for a moment?”

Sowon digs a hand into her bag and it comes back up with a paper bag in its grip. “Oh, that's fine. That's a very standard reaction. You were doing very well. I admire your calmness.”

Junmyeon accepts the bag gladly, closes it over his mouth and starts panicking.

* * *

 

Jongdae yawns from his spot, a half lean against the back of the couch, Baekhyun and Chanyeol squeezed on the other side.

“Where's Junmyeon hyung?”

Baekhyun and Chanyeol remain absorbed in their game. From the kitchen, Kyungsoo answers.

“Went home for a while.”

“Oh okay.”

* * *

 

“So, one wish right?” Junmyeon begins, holding out a can of soda.

Sowon nods and takes the can with a furious blush. (A can Suho touched! She'd frame it somehow later.) “Just tell me what you want and I'll be more than happy to grant it!” Sowon chirps.

“Well… is wishing to understand my members better an achievable wish?” Junmyeon asks.

Sowon slips out her clipboard and takes the pose of a professional therapist. “Can you elaborate, please? Wishes need to be exact to prevent backfiring.”

Junmyeon has by now put away the great absurdity of the situation and rolls with it. An angel-therapist? Okay. He could deal with that.

So Junmyeon started off by slowly describing the instability of his relationships with his members beyond official band activities, which lead to mentioning how they seemed to be actively bullying him which trailed into exasperated rants.

“I don't understand them! I hope to understand them but they really seem to want to? It's been four years and I find that this is a bit of a sad relationship to have?” Junmyeon sighed heavily. Sowon hadn't looked away from him once for the entire rant, though her pen was never still against the clipboard.

“Go on.” She encouraged. “Let it all out. It'll be relieving.”

Junmyeon takes in a deep breath and continues. “I think- I think what I want is for us to understand each other. There was a period of time where we were like a family.” Junmyeon hesitates, biting down on his lip. “It's not possible to return to that time, but I'd like for the state of our relationship at least to return to that period.”

Sowon holds in the tears and pats Junmyeon's arm comfortingly. “You're doing a great job as a leader. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Give me one hour to get you the wish you deserve in return for you hardships.”

Junmyeon pats her arm back and Sowon resists the urge to squeal unprofessionally (oh my god, I just had skin contact with Suho!).

“Thanks for listening anyway.”

Sowon nods and opens up a window. “Rest for now! You deserve breaks!”

Junmyeon says thank you, and waves her off for a while before he can look weird standing at the window, staring out an empty sky.

-

“What do I do?” Sowon wailed. “He deserves so much better!”

Minmi passed her a tissue. The lounge at heaven was very well stocked with tissues. The sofa table was laden with it. Angels tended to get emotional very easily.

“You give him the love he deserves Sunbae.” Minmi said reassuringly. “You have the power to make his life better.”

“But how?” Sowon grabbed Minmi by the shoulders. “How do I craft the wish so Junmyeon ends up with the maximum amount of happiness?”

Chorong voiced out from behind her clipboard, a white rectangle overrun with doodles. “Make the members admit they love him. Teach them a lesson.”

“Do it like a Korean drama! Make it extreme!” Minmi said randomly.

“Use that cliche!” Chorong chorused in support. “Like in the last episode of DoTS!”

Sowon threw a couch pillow at them. “I haven't watched DoTS! What are you talking about?”

“Fake death cliche!” Minmi supplied.

“Uh, hell no gurl. That's depressing. I have a different idea.”


	2. A Solution

Junmyeon wakes up to the full glare of a dawning sun, nestled in by uncomfortable sheets. Through the haze of his morning vision, Junmyeon registers blinding white fabric and a figure sprinting out of his room.

“Holy shit.”

Junmyeon wonders what Baekhyun or Chanyeol is doing in his room, because they're the only two who swear so freely. He tries getting up, to scold them, but working his mouth is taking a tremendous effort. An unusually tremendous effort. Junmyeon swirls his dry tongue around a few times before the cool rim of a glass is pressed into lips. Junmyeon trails the soft curves around the hand holding up the cup to Yixing's softly smiling face. Junmyeon took a grateful sip and looked Yixing over tiredly.

“I thought you were in China?” Junmyeon prompts as Yixing continues to stare at him in worry.

“I came back after I heard what happened.” Yixing says, which, now that he mentioned it…

“What happened?” Junmyeon asks in wonderment. He really can't remember anything after he left practice early, feigning family matters.

“You don't remember?” Yixing starts. “Junmyeon, you got hit by a car.”

-

Outside the room and down a corridor, Sowon tries to unsuspiciously adjust her glasses and peer at Minmi and Chorong's handmade signs.

“You see,” she begins, addressing one unblinking Do Kyungsoo and a passively glaring Kim Minseok. “If it was just a normal car accident, Mr Kim would be fine. Most car accident survivors walk off with a couple of broken bones. In a normal case, the worst we can expect is paralysis or organ damage.”

“You're going to say ‘but’ aren't you?” Kyungsoo said dryly. Sowon felt a prick of pridefulness, searching her head for a synonym. Chorong helpfully held up a sign.

“However,” Sowon continued, sounding pleased. “That car accident resembled the opening scene of The Witness.”

Minseok's face scrunched up and Sowon tried to pretend she didn't just purposely name-drop Luhan's movie. (He watched it! Sowon internally screamed. XiuHan lives!)

“We are expecting to see signs of partial brain failure, long story short. I'm surprised if Mr Kim will wake up at all with the cranial trauma.” Sowon had very little idea what she was talking about, but if social studies class taught her anything it was to male bullshit believable.

Just then, Baekhyun came running down the halls, sputtering.

“He woke up!”

-

Junmyeon laughs.

“Okay, Yixing. Very funny.”

Smiling in an off-kilter manner, Yixing fishes out his phone and a newspaper, as if he expected this.

The newspaper headline reads, ‘EXO's Leader involved in major traffic accident - SM pressing charges against drunk driver’ and his phone lights up with hundreds of notifications, from family, colleagues and fans.

Junmyeon swallows and looks up at Yixing. Understanding the silent look, Yixing leans over and lightly hugs him, quelling the sudden surge of panic that rises in him.

“It was raining. Your car got thrown off an expressway by a drunk driver. He made it out fine but you-” Yixing's voice catches and he struggles to continue. Junmyeon feels his arms shake. “You've been asleep for two weeks. Broke a few bones in your hand and leg. A deep cut down your face.”

Yixing pulls back to look him in the eye. “We thought you'd die. You had a pretty bad head injury.”

Junmyeon is saved from replying by Baekhyun's return, followed by the storming combination of Kyungsoo and Minseok.

“Junmyeon!” The latter exclaims at the sight of him, drawing close in quick strides to hug him tight. He is joined by Kyungsoo, an act so rare Junmyeon can do nothing but quietly sit in surprise.

“I'll let you have your moment.” The doctor says before leaving and Junmyeon peers past Minseok's fluff of hair to see a vaguely familiar face disappear through the door.

-

Sowon exits the room and walks into a supply closet.

“Okay sunbae.” Minmi whispers from the floor. “What's next?”

“Sleeping beauty style.” Sowon says with a level of seriousness that had Chorong look up skeptically from her doodle. “Junmyeon is going to lapse into a coma, and the only thing that can wake him is the combined true love from his members.” Sowon says triumphantly. “I'm a genius!”

“One question.” Chorong raises a pen in the air. “Why are we using a supply closet as a base?”

Sowon looked around, eyes travelling to the dingy light, Chorong squeezed into a shelf beside an army of bandages and Minmi angled awkwardly on floor between boxes of medicine.

“It's right beside Junmyeon's room! People would kill to be this close to their idol!”

-

“Junmyeon are you sleepy?” Kyungsoo asked, reaching out a tentative hand.

Junmyeon started and rubbed a hand over his face. He hadn't noticed his eyes had started drooping. He just woke up, why was he so tired.

“I feel oddly tired…”

“You're still recuperating.” Minseok concluded. “You need rest. We'll come back tomorrow with the others.”

It makes sense for them to be leaving now. Outside, the sky has darkened and become speckled with stars. They're all busy, Junmyeon supposes.

Junmyeon parted his lips but closed them after a moment's consideration. It would be childish of him to ask them to stay with him. He was the leader; loneliness was a weakness, and he was supposed to always act strong.

“Kyungsoo and I will stay here.” Baekhyun says out of the blue. When everyone starts staring at him, Baekhyun quickly amends himself. “Just in case, you know.”

Junmyeon smiles. “Thanks.”

“We were worried you know.” Kyugsoo murmurs quietly before burying himself in his jacket. “You should sleep now.”

“I'm not that sleepy yet.” Junmyeon protests, even as opening his eyes become a struggle. Yixing notices and flattens his palm over his eyes with a laugh. “Sure you're not.”

Junmyeon hears the words taper off and in the next moment, he's dreaming without realising it.


	3. An apology

It takes one week for the sense that something is horribly wrong to sink in.

“Why isn't he waking up?” A manager demands. Sowon would cry if this was a normal situation, but the manager seems like a jerk so instead Sowon nurses an inner hatred that fuels her through the conversation.

“Because he has head trauma?” Sowon says dryly. “This is a hospital sir, I suggest you control yourself.”

From the side, Chanyeol warily eyes a reddening manager. He came today with Kyungsoo, who is in the room with Suho, and Jongdae, downstairs grabbing coffee. Sowon hoped that some Kyungmyeon is happening behind that door.

“How long until he wakes up?” Chanyeol asks after the managers storms off, thoroughly pissed at Sowon's indirectness.

“Depends.” Sowon shrugs. “He could get better, or complications could arise as a result of the injury.”

Sowon waits a moment as Chanyeol's face falls and drops her hint. “You could try talking to him. Medical research has shown that sometimes coma patients remain aware of their surroundings.” Sowon smiles and pats Chanyeol's shoulder. “Sometimes you need medicine, other times you need hope.”

-

Kyungsoo lightly traces the outline of Junmyeon's hand. It's tougher than his own, the muscles stiffer from disuse Kyungsoo supposes. Briefly, he recalls the ample amount to head ruffling and pats Junmyeon gives out. Junmyeon is always so free with displays of affection, a constant reminder that they are loved, they are cared for.

Kyungsoo sneaks a glance at the door.

Quietly, Kyungsoo softly presses his lips to Junmyeon's forehead. It's a chaste kiss, something no one will read too deeply into. This way Kyungsoo can remain safe from judgement, but still leave Junmyeon with something.

“Wake up soon, hyung. We're waiting.”

I'm waiting.

Kyungsoo shuffles in place, drowned by the silence and the lack of Junmyeon's voice. When Chanyeol steps in, Kyungsoo brushes past him quickly, eager to step out.

The giant steps back in surprise. “Soo?”

“Bathroom.” He mumbles quickly and Chanyeol lets him slip by in worry, neither noticing the jump in Junmyeon's heart rate.

-

Jongdae closes his eyes and presses the cool metal of his coffee into his forehead.

“Most people would get warm coffee.”

Jongdae blinks his eyes open and smiles dryly. “Jongin yah. Where's ‘hello, hyung’?”

Jongin leans over, and despite his smile he's sagging into Jongdae. Now that they're this close, Jongdae can see that the bronze skin has paled and there are bags under his eyes.

“You look crap Nini.” Jongdae laughs.

“You look worse.” Jongin smiles back, before his eyes droop to Jongdae's bag of coffees and bread.

“Hows hyung?” He asks as he swipes one cans.

“Still sleeping.” Jongdae says, his voice hollow. “I think manager-hyung just finished attacking the doctor.”

Jongin nods. “I saw him leave. Why don't I hang on to these?” He motions to the bag. “We can't bring this much up at once unless we want a nurse glaring at us so I'll just loaf around the lobby and wait for the others.”

Jongdae opens his mouth to protest but Jongin shoves him towards the elevators. “Go kiss snow white awake you dolt.”

Jongdae laughs breathily, swatting Jongin. “Is that your fantasy or something?”

Jongin grins and slips away, leaving Jongdae with nothing to do but wait for the elevator to take him up.

It feels strange for him to be in the hospital for so long. He's not one of the more injury prone members, and even then, the most they get are sprains and minor injuries. Jongdae's never had to be in a hospital longer than a week. When Junmyeon wakes up, Jongdae will swear off hospitals for the rest of his life.

The elevetor opens with a soft ding, and Jongdae spots Chanyeol poking his head out of Junmyeon's door.

Jongdae jogs up to him in worry. “What's wrong?”

Chanyeol shakes his head in reassurance. “Nothing. I'm just looking for Soo. Stay here for a bit?”

Chanyeol slips away, a tall figure ambling down the corridors, and Jongdae lets himself into Junmyeon's room.

The lack of change is unnerving. Junmyeon looks out of place, petrified against the backdrop of undulating curtains and shifting light. It disturbs Jongdae, so he draws near to ruffle Junmyeon's hair.

“Just bear with me hyung.” He murmurs. “Or better yet, wake up and scold me.”

Jongdae feels slightly masochistic, yearning for Junmyeon's reprimands this way. But at this point, Jongdae would do anything to hear his voice again, be it praise or bereavement.

Jongdae's fingers lower, tracing the edges of Junmyeon's face and trailing down to his throat.

“Wake up please.” Jongdae whispers. “I need you to wake up for me.”

Junmyeon doesn't move.

-

Chanyeol leans forward in his seat to poke lightly at Junmyeon's still form.

“Yah, hyung. You almost made Jongdae and Kyungsoo cry.” He reprimands, voice shaking. He'd found Kyungsoo rubbing at his eyes with water in the bathroom, and when he'd left Kyungsoo to gather himself, he'd walked in on Jongdae standing beside Junmyeon, his breath stuttering.

Honestly, now he feels like crying too.

“Yah hyung.” Chanyeol begins, his voice unsteady. “You're supposed to be our guardian, what are you doing making us cry like this?”

Chanyeol pauses to even his breath. He is not going to cry. He is not.

“Or do you not want to be the guardian anymore? Have we made you too tired?” Chanyeol looks down to the circles he's been thumbing into Junmyeon's palm.

“That's okay.” He breathes out. “When you come back, we'll be your guardians instead. So come back, okay?”

Chanyeol stands, leaves and ignores Jongdae and Kyungsoo as he locks himself into a bathroom stall to cry.

Back in the room, Junmyeon's hand twitches.


	4. A dream

Junmyeon dreams that he lives in a small town, a quiet town, and he moves through each day sluggishly.

He wakes up feeling rested, he goes out and people smile at him, greet him politely, and though he does nothing but passes the seemingly short hours wandering he comes back to a homely cottage feeling satisfied.

But Junmyeon lies down in bed and feels hollow.

“Are you unhappy?” A voice asks from his left. When Junmyeon turns his head, it's Sowon, perched on the window.

“Are you unhappy?” She asks again. “What do you want to make it better?”

Junmyeon wonders, because all he can do in this dreamy haze is wander. He settles on half answer.

“I'm lonely.” He says.

“I can get you company.” Sowon smiles, then she flies away, and Junmyeon falls asleep.

When Junmyeon wakes, his suddenly bigger house feels more full. He goes downstairs he knew weren't there before and enters a kitchen laden with hearty foods.

“I made breakfast,” Kyungsoo says, from behind the kitchen island. When did Kyungsoo get here?

“Hyung,” Jongdae calls. He reaches to pull Junmyeon into the seat beside him. “Come eat.”

Junmyeon tries to place the sense of wrongness in this picture, bit he forgets it in mere minutes as a sleepy sensation of contentment settles over him.

-

Jongin wakes to Sehun's voice filtering into his ears.

“… cake. You like fruitcakes right? We'll get you that when you wake up. Or you can treat yourself for once and eat a real cake.”

Jongin squints into the hazy morning light, spotting Sehun flopped over Junmyeon's chest, trailing fingers on his cheeks and huffing at the loose curl floating at his forehead.

“Sehun? The heck are you doing?” Jongin grumbles, unfolding his limbs out from the chair, wincing as his joints pop.

“I'm enticing him to wake up,” Sehun says. “The doctor says he might be able to hear.”

Jongin blinks. “Huh. So we're bribing him with cake?”

Sehun shifts his head to look at Jongin, grinning. “Your turn.”

Jongin shrugs and clears his throat. Might as well.

“We'll, um, do our chores for once?”

Sehun wrinkles his nose. “That was weak.”

Jongin scowls and says, loudly this time, “We'll make you a whole feast. All you can eat.”

Sehun smiles in satisfaction before continuing on his end. “We'll take you shopping then. We'll pay for once. You can just buy anything you want.”

Jongin thinks for a moment. “When you get back, we'll pamper you. Baekhyun can do your hair. We'll bully Jongdae into giving a massage. Your face is good looking enough, there isn't much we can do there.”

Sehun laughs, shaking on Junmyeon's chest. Jongin joins in, until Sehun trails of to trace Junmyeon's cheekbones.

“We need you to wake up first, though,” Sehun says softly. “Wake up hyung.”

Junmyeon doesn't move.

-

Minseok thumbs the pack of cigarettes, knowing it's mistake and he'll actually manage to do it. He'll drown himself in regret and self-loathing later, as he's always good at. He knows Jongin smokes sometimes, and Sehun. He sees the maknaes with their heads bowed together on a bad night, long fingers of smoke grasping at their outlines, sometimes. Tao used to smoke with them before he left.

Minseok throws the pack to the ground and crushes it under his heel as if doing so will crush the thoughts with it. Remembering them, the ones who left, was never a good train of thought.

Minseok stalks away from the niche, tucking his cap low as he walks back up the front of the building.

Maybe this time, Junmyeon will get up and say hello when he walks in.

-

“Do you know,” Baekhyun begins, throwing the ball against the wall. The doctor had given it to him, saying it was for stress. “That only ten out of a hundred thousand in Korea get into car accidents every year?”

Jongin and Sehun had gone for food, and Baekhyun's growling stomach hadn't protested having the act as carriers. But left alone in the room with a comatose Junmyeon like this unnerved Baekhyun. And when Baekhyun was faced with discomfort away from the eyes of the public, his emotions got heated.

“Why did you have to be one of that ten Suho? Does this world hate you?” Baekhyun asked in exasperation. “Have you not been kind enough? Loving enough? Or have we not loved you enough? Is god trying to take you away to a better place?”

Baekhyun's fingers slipped and the foam ball rolled under Junmyeon's bed. He stared at it in frustration, huffing out the dregs of his emotions. He stared at Junmyeon for a while longer and reached for his hand.

“We're not letting anyone take you from us,” Baekhyun said, squeezing his hand. “If heaven wants you they're going to have to come down and fight us first.”

Baekhyun could almost imagine Junmyeon's hand squeezing back.

-

In Junmyeon's dreams, his members do nothing but smile at him, laughing happily with him. It makes him feel a little warm, to have them be so loving. But alas…

“This is just a dream,” Junmyeon announces to the sky sadly. “It's nice of you Sowon, but I know it's a dream.”

A dove descends from the sky, a speck of white breaking away from a watercolour sun. It lowers steadily until the dove is no longer a dove but the figure of a young angel bedecked in white.

Sowon settles herself into the grass patch beside Junmyeon and smiles at him as the background blurs.

“What gave it away?” She asks.

Junmyeon looks down at his hands and exhales. “They don't love me like this. It's a petty thing to say, but I know how they see me.”

Junmyeon raises his head to meet Sowon's eyes. “They don't look at me with love like that.”

Sowon lifts her hand carefully, reaching out for Junmyeon's hair. The soft caresses ease him slightly, nursing the wound he inflicts upon himself with such a bare confession.

“I get tired sometimes.” Junmyeon sighs. “I can only love them so much when they don't love me back.”

Sowon laughs. “I think they're just very bad at showing how they love. Too much of what you guys do have becomes acts for fans, a play for the eyes of the world. It makes the real emotions harder to show, and more difficult to see.

But they do love you Junmyeon. Look.”

Sowon waves her hand, and in the misty grass an image rises.

It is a hospital room, stark white while the sky outside the large window is an inky black. Junmyeon sees himself, a still figure laid out on the bed. Minseok is in the chair to his left, caressing a hand, while Yixing stands to his right, brushing a thumb over his brow.

“Wake up Jun.” Minseok whispers. “We need you.”

“Junmyeon.” Yixing breathes shakily. “Please. It's been two weeks. Any longer and bad things will happen.”

Yixing, Junmyeon notices, is crying. Soundless shaking while tears fall into the front of his shirt while he stands, and then falling into Junmyeon's face as Yixing leans over to press a soft kiss into his cheek.

Junmyeon raises his hand to his cheek in the dream, feeling warmth emanate from the spot. He feels light, all of a sudden, and the heart monitor in the real world beeps.


	5. A problem

His dream was getting odder. 

Junmyeon had forgotten Jongdae's name first, but he'd remembered it right after. But as time went on, he started to forget more things and the dream world got hazier. 

“Junmyeon hyung!”

Junmyeon prodded at his face, inspecting in the bathroom mirror. Was he getting sick? He did seem to be paler. 

“Junmyeon hyung!”

No, he hadn't gotten paler. It was more… faded, like the colour was dulling on his skin. 

“Junmyeon hyung?” 

Junmyeon caught Sehun's eyes in the mirror. He had a hand on the doorframe, a head poked warily in. 

“Junmyeon hyung? You okay? I've been calling you for a while now.”

Junmyeon blinked. “Sorry, let me finish washing up.”

Sehun left and Junmyeon turned on the tap, watching the water run for the drainage in a spiral. He had heard Sehun calling but… 

He hadn't been able to recognise his name. He'd forgotten. 

-

“Sonethings's wrong.” Sowon said, picking at her lab coat. Minmi looked up from her floor nest as Chorong whacked at the supply room light with a broom. 

“What's wrong?”

“He's not waking up.” Sowon explained, setting down her clipboard. “All the members have given one piece of their love. He should have been awake three days ago.”

Chorong floated down from the ceiling. “Did you screw up the magic?”

Sowon shook her head. “I filled out the form right. Didn't alter anything.”

“Check the ‘wish outcome’ section.” Minmi suggested. Sowon picked up the clipboard and flipped through the wish registry forms. 

“It says here the desired outcome is ‘renew the love of his family’.” Sowon said. “That's practically achieved. I've had crying and kisses next door.”

Sowon flipped through the forms again. “Nothing should be wrong! The wish outcome was for his family to- holy shit.”

“Er, sunbae?” 

Sowon smacked her head, a manic smile forming on her face. “He asked for his family, not his members!”

“So we should drag in his parents?” Chorong asked. 

Sowon shook her head. “Not that family. Minmi!” 

Sowon pointed at the floor dweller and grinned. “We're going to China.” 

-

Junmyeon wandered the halls of his dream home, tracing photo frame after photo frame. There were very few pictures where more than five of them fit into the same shot, but all of them had Junmyeon in them. How unusual. 

Junmyeon paused at a picture of nine and ran a thumb over each face. 

“Someone's missing.” He said, though for the life of him he couldn't remember who.


	6. A resolution

Tao was still unused to waking up alone. 

He tried avoiding it by sleeping at the studio, sleeping at his parent's home and when he first started sleeping alone he'd sleep at hotels where he'd wake to the knocks and calls of room service to disguise the emptiness of his room. He always had someone to sleep with in EXO. That was Tao missed most, having someone constantly around, be it Sehun or Jongdae or anyone else. 

But he chosen this path, and choosing always meant sacrifices. 

Tao got up and ambled towards the curtains, pulling them open slowly and cursing the still dark sky. He probably only slept for an hour. It was getting harder for him to sleep nowadays. 

Tao sighed and dropped back to his bed, grabbing his phone. It lit up with SNS notifications, game notifications, a warning from his manager to get some sleep, the standard ‘how are you’ from his family and some news recommendation. 

Tao paused at a notification and clicked on it. 

“EXO's Suho coma stretches over to three weeks.” Tao murmurs into the dark room. “SM addresses fans concerns while EXO goes on hiatus.”

Tao's grip around his phone tightened. He remembered that Junmyeon was always catching him on his bad days, asking him share what was wrong. It had choked Tao back then, all the thoughts, and he'd never been able to say anything. When he left, the last Junmyeon told him was that he'd wished he'd been able to help. 

“Do you want to see him?” Someone asked. 

Tao looked up to where a woman was lounging on his bedside chair, a halo nestled into her hair. 

“Do you want to see him?” Minmi asked again. 

Tao decided in very short seconds. “If you can take me to him, take me.” 

Minmi grinned and held out her hand. “Great. Now grab a coat and sign my clipboard please.”

Tao raised an eyebrow. “I need to sign form for this?”

“Oh no, I'm kinda a huge fan.”

-

Luhan had Kris's number. 

He'd gotten it around the second time they met, because despite asking him to call the first time the barrier of managers had stopped them from exchanging numbers. 

So Luhan had Kris's number, but he sure as hell didn't have Tao's. 

“Luhan?” The voice on the other end called. 

Luhan motioned his studio workers away as he walked out of the room for a more private area. He'd picked up the phone after several missed calls from the same number but Tao was the last person he expected to be calling. 

“Tao? How did you get my number?” Luhan asked carefully. 

“An angel gave it to me.” Tao said in a matter-of-factly voice and Luhan tried to figure out if the younger man was serious or there some sort of allegory there. 

“Anyway,” Tao continued. “I'm going to see Junma.” 

Luhan choked. “You're going to do what?” 

“You're going too! We're picking you up but Minmi said someone named Sowon is going to explain to you.” 

“Who? What? Tao!” Luhan yelled, but the line was dead. He looked at it in frustration. “Who the heck is Sowon?”

“That's, erm, me.” A voice said. Luhan looked up. 

The mirror of the bathroom he'd locked himself into was gone, replaced by a rectangle of light. Leaning halfway out of it was a girl with two huge dove wings folded into her back. 

“I'm Sowon.” She said, clearing her throat. She motioned to the rectangular portal. “Would you like to come in?”

“Sure.” Luhan breathed, feeling lightheaded. “Why not.”

-

The interior was a creamy, pastel explosion. Literally everything was pale. The couch, the couch cushions, the bean bag sea and what little of plush carpet Luhan could spot- all pastels. 

“Very, um, angelic.” Luhan said, testing a couch. His arm sank into it, signalling an extreme level of softness. 

“Sorry.” Sowon apologised. “This is the Limbo Lounge. The Heaven Lounge is much better but you'd have to die or get a job at Angel & Co™ to go there.”

“Angel and what?” 

“Forget what I just said.” Sowon said hastily. She cleared her throat and pulled up a clipboard. 

“So er, Mr Lu?” 

“Luhan is fine.” He said, waving her on. 

“Okay Luhan, are you are aware Kim Junmyeon has entered a coma.”

Luhan nodded, seating himself at a more solid looking beanbag. “What those that have to do with this?” He motioned at the Limbo. 

“The coma isn't naturally caused.” Sowon explained. “It's, well, magical. ‘Love’ was supposed to break the coma but what he have is incomplete. I'm sorry, it's a bit of a confusing story but long story short, we need you to help wake him up as soon as possible.”

Luhan raised an eyebrow. “As soon as possible?”

Sowon nodded grimly. “If his coma goes into the fourth week, the hospital may decide to declare him brain dead.” 

Luhan froze. “Shit.”

“So would you like to-” Sowon began, but Luhan jumped to his feet. “As soon a possible right? Then let's go now, damn it.” 

He started marching towards the exit, swearing under his breath. Shit. He didn't leave because he hated the group, he left because he hated the company. Regardless of what happened, it had been hard for him to leave them behind like that, dogging after Kris's spontaneity. 

Luhan reached for the portal as Tao's head popped into it. 

“Lu-ge!”

Luhan jumped and shrieked. “Taozi! What the heck?” 

The man grinned at Luhan, entirely unapologetic. He held out a hand. 

“Come on. We're going together.”

Luhan looked at him in confusion. “What?”

“We're going to save him right?” Tao asked, smiling. Luhan looked down at the outstretched hand, recalling an era where there were always eleven other people beside him. 

Luhan took his hand. 

“You're damn right we're gonna save him.”

Watching them leave, Sowon grinned and flipped through her clipboard, looking for the last location.


	7. An interlude

“Hold the fort they said, it will be fun they said.” Chorong muttered as she waved her wand into the frozen manager's face. “Well, I guess this is pretty fun.” 

Chorong looked over the manager's shoulder, still disguised as a doctor and gave Minmi a thumbs up. Minmi returned the gesture and pushed the slack jawed Tao and Luhan into Junmyeon's room. Once they were in, Chorong turned back to the manger and tapped him between the brows with her wand. 

“Go to car, drive down to the busiest road you know of and shout that you're an idiot out loud.”

The manager robotically turned around headed for the lifts. Chorong nodded in satisfaction and wiped imaginary dust off her coat. 

“Good job Chorong. Very good job.”

-

“You gotta keep our existence a secret okay?” Minmi said as she was exiting the room via portal. “This is kinda a confidential operation here.”

Luhan nodded distractedly, already settling into the bedside seat and gently linking his finger's with Junmyeon's. Tao gave Minmi a thumbs up, which she returned before disappearing with the portal. Tao looked to Luhan, who was gently smiling at Junmyeon and brushing soft locks away from his sweat-damp forehead. 

“You'll be okay Junmyeon. We'll make sure of it.”

Tao observed the blank, sleeping face of his once ‘mother’, painfully devoid of emotion and life. Tao guided his hand to Junmyeon's free hand, and rested it over his chest. 

“I'm sorry I just left like that.” Tao began. “I wish I had the chance to tell you everything, to return your love.” 

Biting his lip, Tao allowed himself a moment of openness. “Thank you, for taking care of me.” 

From underneath their hands, Tao felt Junmyeon's heart jump.

-

In his dream, a fog had invaded. 

It had besieged the made up countryside, ensnaring the townscape behind veils of thick grey. It had yet to enter Junmyeon's house, but he could imagine the vehemence of the wall of fog pressing itself into his windows. 

In his house, everyone was asleep. 

Junmyeon was awake, and it was the oddest thing, but he couldn't remember waking up. The unconscious state of the other had only come to his awareness when Yixing's name had jumped out at his fading mind, and he realised that the person he had been staring at for the past age, asleep on his lap, was Yixing. Minseok was curled into his left. By his foot, Junmyeon could see Chanyeol and Sehun. Junmyeon had trouble placing the faces at first with his weakening memory, but after a while something suddenly jumped him, sending his senses into hyperawareness. 

Yixing, Minseok, Sehun, Chanyeol, Jongdae, Kyungsoo, Jongin, Baekhyun, Luhan-

Luhan? It couldn't be. 

But it was Luhan, Junmyeon realised as the still ever so beautiful face drew near to his. Luhan was crouching down to meet Junmyeon's eyes he realised, the man having appeared from who-knows-where. 

“It's okay Junmyeon. We're here now.” 

Luhan draped his arms around him as he sagged into Junmyeon, falling into the same slumber as the rest. As Luhan settled into a dead sleep, another presence appeared at Junmyeon's empty right side. 

“Junma.” Tao giggled, looking straight at Junmyeon. “Junma.” He repeated, his brow dipping to rest at Junmyeon's shoulder. “Junma.”

As Tao also drifted off, Junnyeon scanned the heap of bodies and was visited with an unwelcome hollowness in the pit of his stomach. 

“Someone is still missing.” Junmyeon wondered to the empty air, frustrated. “But- ah, but-”

Junmyeon looked down at his family in fear. “I can't remember. I can't remember him.”

-

On the other side of the world, Sowon held her clipboard out to ‘him'. 

“Do you want to save him?”

“Of course I do.” He said. “I loved him.”

Looking down at the clipboard, his knuckles turning white with his grip, he breathed out the truth. 

“I still love him."


	8. A storm

The dishes, Jongdae realised belatedly, hadn't been washed in w while. He realised that they had only been going in the dishwasher every end-of-the-week when they ran out of plates, or when they were home long enough for Kyungsoo and Yixing to be cooking. 

As an afterthought, Jongdae checked on their laundry. 

There were piles of unwashed clothes on the floor, surrounding an unused washing machine. They had a lot of clothes, Jongdae supposed. They probably hadn't run out of anything wearable. 

“Everyones been too distracted.”

Jongdae looked up to see Minseok, dishevelled and leaning against the door frame. “And it's usually Junmyeon who reminds us to do chores.” He added. 

Jongdae looked down and began quietly separating the whites from the piles. 

“You're going to do laundry now?” Minseok asked in shock. “It's almost midnight.” 

Jongdae shrugged. “I can't sleep.” He pulled out a long white shirt he knew belonged to Chanyeol. “I keep dreaming that he doesn't wake up.” 

Jongdae looked over Minseok's shoulder. “Jongin?”

Minseok turned to where the dancer was hiding in the shadows, pursing his paled lips. 

“I keep thinking that it's our fault somehow.” Jongin says. “That maybe if we hadn't argued with him that day he'd never have gone out and gotten into that accident.” 

Jongin stood there for a moment, looking down at his hands as he clenched and unclenched his hands. When Minseok reached out to place a hand on his shoulder, he shrugged it away, pandering over into the kitchen. 

“I'll get the dishes then I'll come back and help.”

-

Chanyeol stifled the third yawn in an hour. He tried not to elbow Kyungsoo who was still sleeping in the seat beside him and waved off a worried glance from Yixing. 

Everyone had been sleeping badly it seemed, and when Chanyeol had gotten up after the fourth time he'd accidentally rolled out of bed he'd found the rest in varying stages of waking up and a trio finishing a night's work of laundry. Minseok told them to go on ahead to the hospital while he finished up with Jongdae and Jongin. 

“We're going back to our schedules next week. We might not be able to see him for a while.” The eldest had said. 

It appeared that SM couldn't keep them on hiatus forever. But they had gotten a pretty long break, thank god for NCT filling in numerous slots in SM's schedules. That was the joy in having more dongsaengs Chanyeol supposed- the work load got lighter. 

The van pulled into the hospital in the first few minutes of visiting hours, right as dawn had finished stretching out over the sky. 

“You go on ahead.” Chanyeol motioned to Sehun and Yixing. “I'll wake up Kyungsoo.”

They nodded in sleepy assent and shambled away as Chanyeol leaned over to wake Kyungsoo, one of their more patient managers waiting at the wheel. 

“Soo? We're here.”

Kyungsoo's owlish eyes fluttered opened slowly, but he got up sluggishly in one go despite the resistance of his sleep deprived brain. 

“Let's go.” He mumbled, shuffling along with a hand on Chanyeol to act as his motor. He wasn't fully awake yet, but he knew it was important to see Junmyeon now, especially since they were going to be busy next week. 

When they got off the lift at the private ward, it became clear that something was wrong. Sehun was standing alone outside he door, leaning heavily into the wall with a fist in his mouth. Kyungsoo snapped awake and Chanyeol ran over as fast as he could. 

“Sehun? Sehun what's wrong?” Chanyeol asked worriedly, gripping at the younger's shoulders and turning him around. Sehun, with his eyes still squeezed shut, dropped his bleeding fist and breathed out shakily. “They're here. I- I don't know how but- they're here.” 

Chanyeol was confused. “Who's here. 

“Are you crazy?” 

They looked to the door. Was that Yixing, yelling? It was soft yell, more a hiss than anything, but Yixing never yelled. 

“You can't be here!” 

There was sigh, and voice Chanyeol hadn't heard in a very long time replied. 

“We just came to see him Xing.” 

Kyungsoo's heart stopped. It couldn't be. He ripped the door open. 

Oh but it was them, Luhan hunched on Junmyeon's bedside chair (their hands intertwined) wearily staring down a flustered Yixing, as Tao leaned to one corner of the room, trying to avoid the argument. He noticed Kyungsoo at the door (all of them did, with his entrance) and waved a nervous hand. 

“Kyungsoo.”

“Tao.” Kyungsoo replied curtly. “Sehun's crying outside.” 

He turned red in response, and ran out fumbling over his words. 

“S-Sehun? Are you okay? I'm sorry if I startled you-” 

“Shut up.”

Kyungsoo thought Sehun's reply was aptly viscous. Tao's departure had been as bad as Kris's- he picked up and left with barely a word. Kyungsoo closed the door to the sound of Chanyeol putting himself in front of Sehun with several curt words and Tao's rambling apologies. He quietly returned Luhan's worried look. 

“Luhan.” 

“Kyungsoo.” 

He didn't really know what to say. Oh wait, he did. 

“Been doing well?” He asked flatly. The question must have thrown him off, because Luhan sat there gaping and appealed for a moment before trying to reply. 

“I- I guess so.”

“Don't ‘guess’.” Kyungsoo snapped. “The life you left us for- it better be have been worth it.” 

Luhan grimaced and folded his hands in his lap. “It is Soo, but I'm sorry.” 

“Don't be.” Kyungsoo said. He felt oddly detached, and the anger he had moments ago disappeared so quickly. “If it was worth it, don't be.”

The door slammed open again and this time, stepping in like a contained storm, was Minseok. 

“Luhan. Out.”


	9. An arrival

In Junmyeon's dream, there is nothing. 

Something is wrong, Junmyeon can understand. What he can't understand is the egging feeling that something should be here. Perhaps it is true that the void that surrounds him seems lacking, but some part of Junmyeon whispers to him, that he should know exactly what is missing. 

“Hello?” Junmyeon calls out to the vast emptiness. 

Nothing replies. 

-

“Aww crap.” Minmi said. “The wish is turning into a curse.”

Chorong flipped through her Advanced Angel Studies 103 textbook in panic. Beginners Angel Studies 101 and Intermediate Angel Studies 102 lay haphazardly upturned in a corner. Chrorong settled one a page labeled ‘Wish Stages’ and began reading out loud. 

“Okay, it's written here that turning into a curse is stage 4.” 

“Wait, so this is supposed to happen?” Minmi quizzed. Chrorong nodded. “Apparently. Stage 1 is world rebuilding, stage 2 is fantasy fulfilment, stage 3 is conflict which leads to stage 4, reflective curse.”

“Everything gets worse before it gets better than.” Minmi deduced. “What's stage 5?”

“Umm, Stage 5 is either wish fulfilment or death.”

“Well that escalated quickly! Where the heck is Sowon?”

“She texted us an hour ago.” Chroong said. She pulled out her phone and read out text. “Otw, flying as we speak.”

-

“We're just here to see him Minseok.” Luhan began appeasingly. 

The hospital roof was wide and empty, shadowed under a grey sky. The threat of rain loomed over them, threatening storms. It strangely mirrored their situation at that moment. 

Minseok ran his hands through his hair and sighed. “And I can't blame you for that, I suppose.” He wrung his hands in frustration. “It's just this this is going to turn into a whole mess. And he doesn't need to wake up to more problems.” 

Luhan didn't really know what to say to that. It was easy, really, to see what burdens often befell leaders. Luhan had watched one crumble in front of him before. Junmyeon deserved rest, but a coma wasn't answer damnit. 

“Will he wake up though?” Tao asked. He had stood aways from them, letting them argue while he leaned against the railings with Yixing. “He will wake up though, right?” 

For a beat, no one had the answer. Would Junmyeon wake up? Could Junmyeon wake up? Would it better for Junmyeon to wake up to this world that seemed to have nothing for him? 

Yixing looked up at the sky, and hesitantly spoke to it. “He has to. He has to come back to us.” 

They stood there in silence, watching rising winds rustle empty clotheslines and cut into their bare faces. As the first tentative drops of rain splattered into the ground, Luhan shrugged and sighed in defeat. 

“We'll down to say goodbye. Then we'll leave.”

-

Chanyeol reached out and tucked in a loose corner in Junmyeon's blanket. Luhan must have moved it by accident, he reasoned. Jongdae was usually the one moving things, trying to create the illusion of a simple sleep, but Jongdae had just arrived. 

“How do you think they got in here?” Jongdae mused. There was no need to ask who ‘they’ were. 

“A doctor or nurse must have been a bleeding heart.” Sehun said flatly. Chanyeol felt a little sorry for him. There was no getting over Tao for him, not in the way Minseok had fought past Luhan's absence in the beginning. 

“The question is why they're here.” Sehun continued. 

“Because they're worried for Junmyeon.” Kyungsoo blinked. “Aren't they?” 

“But they left.” Baekhyun countered. “And the most important person to Junmyeon isn't here, that ass.” 

Chanyeol made a move to intervene before the situation turned ugly, but the door eased open to let in a calmed Minseok. He pushed Tao and Luhan in quickly, a procession ended by Yixing ducking in nervously. 

“We'll… leave in a while.” Tao coughed, avoiding Sehun's eyes. He saw his head move away in his peripheral vision and a small part of Tao's heart curdled. 

Luhan pulled him gently by the forearm (the faster they settle this the better he thought, for he himself could not really remember how they got here. All Luhan remembered, was the brief image of wings.) and they settled into Junmyeon's side, Tao sliding his hand into Junmyeon's cold palm and Luhan brushing a finger over a brow. 

“Jun, I'm leaving now-”

“Have none of you read sleeping beauty?” A slightly offended voice emerged from the doorway. 

Luhan jumped and almost screamed. The rest of EXO shared similar reactions, from gasps and cries as Kris strode past them uncaringly, 

… and leaned over Junmyeon to kiss him on the lips. 

-

In the adjoining room, three angels cheered as the storm outside the hospital broke apart, ominous clouds sliced apart by golden rays of sunlight. The wish furled, lightening the atmosphere visibly as it reverted back from a curse. In one particularly excited whoop, Sowon smacked Chorong and Minmi with her wings. 

“KrisHo lives! KrisHo lives!” She cheered. 

-

“Wu Yifan!” 

Junmyeon woke to Luhan yelling, and was reminded that he was in a dream. Luhan was most definitely not there, because he had left. 

For a dream though, Junmyeon felt extraordinary uncomfortable. He was mildly cold, stiff all over and Jongdae was staring at him with bulging eyes. Junmyeon could also hear Chanyeol's deep voice rambling. 

“Ohmygod-he'sawakeholyshit-” 

Then Junmyeon strained his vision to his left and met Kris's eyes, staring down at him with worry and… lo- care? It must be care. 

“Kris?” He croaked, forcing words past a long unused throat. 

There was gasp and Luhan pushed himself into his vision with Minseok. 

“Jun? Jun are you awake?” Minseok fretted. 

“Junma?” Junmyeon heard a newrly unfamiliar voice call, and when he looked he saw Tao, hesitantly smiling at him.

He looked back up and Kris was still staring at him, so very realistic. Kris hadn't appeared in his dream so far, Junmyeon supposed it was time. 

“Junmyeon?” Kris asked, so very gently and so very unlike him. “What's wrong? Do you hurt somewhere?”

Junmyeon hurt everywhere in fact, but this was a dream and that didn't really matter. 

“It's nothing.” Junmyeon rasps. “You're just a dream.”

Kris smiled oddly at him. “Am I?” He asked, as he trailed a finger across Junmyeon's lips. 

“You- you wouldn't be here anyway.” Junmyeon stuttered out. “So you're not really here-"

Kris leaned foward and Junmyeon tasted airport mints and sausages. When he pulled back, Junmyeon's mind snapped back into his body with stunning clarity. 

“Kris.” Junmyeon breathed. “You- you're here?”

Kris chuckled at him and ran his long fingers up the side of Junmyeon's face, framing the doe-eyed expression. 

“I came for you, idiot.”


	10. A finale

Junmyeon squints into the fog. This dream is unlike the previous, more hazy and less detailed. If Junmyeon had not grown so accustomed to being in dreams, he would never have noticed. The makings of this dream- it is slipping even as Junmyeon observes it.

“Bye, Junmyeon.” Yixing smiles, waving. Junmyeon can see the others, a set of ten shadows, waiting for Yixing.

“Where are you going?” Junmyeon asks, his brain muddled. “Why are you going?”

Yixing laughs and gently caresses his cheek. There is something odd about the touch. It is Yixing trailing his fingers across Junmyeon's skin but it does not feel like Yixing- the fingers are not as soft or slim.

“They're waiting for you.” He says and Junmyeon asks his last question in frustration.

“Who's waiting for me?”

“Your real family!” Yixing laughs and his images fades away as a whisper crawls into the back of Junmyeon's mind, low and captivating.

“Jun, wake up.”

-

Junmyeon pushed open his weighted eyelids after a moment of weak fluttering, dazedly staring at the face above his.

“Jun? Are you awake?” Kris asked softly, a low growl that sounded warm to Junmyeon, soothing some part of his mind Junmyeon was sure he'd stamped into little bits after Kris left. It made him sigh, though albeit shakily. Junmyeon tried to lift a weak hand to Kris's face, but he only made it halfway before Kris half-cupped his larger hand around it, guiding it gently to rest at his jaw.

“Kris.” Junmyeon smiled. “You're actually here.”

Kris chuckled. “You scared me.” When Junmyeon blinked in confusion he elaborated. “When you got into that accident. A lot of people were saying you wouldn't make it. And when you didn't wake up, that scared me too. And then when you did wake up, you passed out on me and there was moment- I thought something had happened.”

Kris inhales sharply, closing his eyes and pulled Junmyeon's hand from his jaw to his lips for a kiss.

“You scared me.” He breathes out, his warm breath tickling Junmyeon's cold knuckles. “Please don't do that again.”

Junmyeon absorbed the image- Kris, looking at him like he was the world, with his lips ghosting over Junmyeon's skin. Kris, looking like he'd never left Junmyeon with barely a word, disappearing to a different country while Junmyeon tried not to die as his heart hollowed out.

“Why?” Junmyeon whispered hoarsely. “Why would you care?”

Kris put down his hand.

“I told you. I love you.”

Kris leaned forward to press his lips into Junmyeon's, and for they remained like that for a moment as the taste, the shape and feel of each other engulfed them, nearly forgotten after two years. When Kris drew away, Junmyeon found that his eyes were prickling.

“I love you too.” Junmyeon whispered, treating the words carefully, four fragile words he'd locked away inside for so long. “I loved you, but you left.”

“I won't leave this time.” Kris said, pressing another kiss to Junmyeon's forehead. “I won'd leave you alone again, I promise.”

Junmyeon sighed and closed his eyes, feeling less heavy, less weighted by the dark thoughts at the back of his head. He opened his eyes to find them watering, and Kris moved his hand to swipe a tear away.

“Why is he crying?” An angry voice demanded. Kris was abruptly yanked from his vision and Junmyeon reached out a weak hand, but he needn't have worried- it was just Luhan, smacking Kris's sides.

“What did you do? We leave to get food and you've gone and made him cry!” Luhan shrieked, and Minseok entered the picture, clamping a hand over his mouth.

“Luhan!” He hissed. “This is a hospital!”

Junmyeon smiled. He missed this, seeing them happy and unplagued by absence. He felt someone nudge his hand, and looked down to see Tao slowly placing it over his head.

“Junma.” He smiled childishly. Junmyeon saw Sehun lounging on the floor behind him. “Did Duizhang make you cry? Should we all hit him?”

“Please,” Kyungsoo said. Junmyeon's vision widened as his lethargy slipped away, and saw the rest of his family settling into the available seats. “Tell us to hit him.” Kyungsoo continued.

Junmyeon let out a weak laugh. “Well if you insist.”

Junmyeon heard Kris squawk in indignation and several people launched themselves at him, playfully hitting at his large form.

“Junmyeon!”

Junmyeon laughed again, feeling lighter with each moment, and looked to the side to see Yixing smiling down at him, twining their fingers together.

“Do you feel better?” He asked.

“Much.” Junmyeon replied.

-

Kris, with insistent hassling of several members, slept with Junmyeon that night. Junmyeon had been against it, because Kris slept hunched over Junmyeon's bed in what looked like a discomforting position for a man of his stature.

“I'm fine.” Kris had insisted, poking at Junmyeon's sides. “I've got you.”

Junmyeon attributed Kris's peaceful rest to his natural tendency to sleep deeply rather than Junmyeon's presence. Well, that and the angel perched on his sill.

“That was… not how I imagined it would go.” Junmyeon told Sowon, a wry smile on his lips.

“I listen to what you want, not what you think you want.” Sowon said, twirling a pen. Her clipboard rested on a knee, shimmering with words in a language Junmyeon could not read.

“You wanted your family to love you, as you have them.” Sowon pointed to Kris's sleeping form. “In your heart, he's still your family.”

Junmyeon looked down and threaded his fingers into Kris's thin hair. “He is, isn't he?” Junmyeon says fondly.

“What now?” Junmyeon asks and Sowon flips a page of her clipboard. Junmyeon got the feeling she was doing it to keep her hands busy, and not because she needed to read anything on it.

“Well, first I need to ask you something.”

“Shoot.” Junmyeon motioned for her to go on.

“Do you regret your wish?” Sowon asked. Junmyeon became hyper aware of Kris's body, slumped over his midsection, and the warmth he was giving off, a soothing sensation on Junmyeon.

“No.” Junmyeon said decidedly. “But there is a catch?”

Sowon nods sadly. “Heaven gives out very few wishes because wishes reconstruct worlds.”

Junmyeon blinks. “Reconstruct worlds?”

Sowon explained. “The wish arranged for a scenario in which you would achieve your desires by reconstructing the world. In other words, it created a world in which you would get into an accident that would spur you members to evaluate how they feel about you. Now, we have to reset the world to prevent damages to reality.”

Junmyeon stills. “So this will never have happened.”

“They will remember.” Sowon appeased. “If they forgot, that would defeat the purpose of the wish. They might not remember exact details, but they will remember enough.”

Sowon looked down at Junmyeon's hand, resting on Kris's head. “He will remember the most.”

“Why?” Junmyeon sounded doubtful.

“Because you want to. And because you want to, I'm going to give you these.” Sowon plucked something out of the air, and extended her closed fist. When Junmyeon offered his palm to her, two simple rings tumbled out.

“Keep one and give him the other.” Sowon instructed. “They will form a bridge between the two of you, and you'll be able to form a connection of sorts.”

Junmyeon examined the bands, one marbled white and the other marbled black. He slipped the white ring on his forefinger, feeling it adjust itself to the width of his finger.

And idea sparked in Junmyeon's head and he slipped the ring off, reaching for Kris's hand. Sowon fought off a manic smile when he slipped the ring on Kris's ring finger.

“Should I pronounce you married?” Sowon teased. Junmyeon turned red, but he didn't take the ring off Kris's finger. He put his own ring on in fact, on his ring finger as he did Kris's.

Junmyeon took one last look at Kris's sleeping face. “I'll rememeber, won't I?”

Sowon nodded. “You will. I can let you enjoy this world for a while, and you can tell me when you're ready to set it back.”

Junmyeon shook his head.

“I think,” he said as he twisted the ring on his finger. “It's time to wake up.”

Sowon nods and puts her pen to her clipboard.

“Thank you, by the way.” Junmyeon adds.

“It was my pleasure to be granting your wish.” Sowon smiles, and she checks off the final box in the form.

The world goes white, and Junmyeon opened eyes he cannot remember closing to face the earthen ceiling of his bedroom at home. On his bedside table, his phone buzzes. Sluggishly, Junmyeon reaches for it, noting that it's the 22nd of may, and answers the call.

“Happy birthday Jun. Thanks for the ring.”

Junmyeon laughs, happier than he's been in a while.

“Good morning Kris.”


End file.
